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THE FORTNIGHT.
though very far yet from what it should be. The annual promises to be far superior to any yet issued by our students. And last, but by no means least, our representative has swept the field in the State Oratorical contest, and gained for Kansas an honorable place in the Inter-state contest. Altogether it has been a year of motion and growth. For next year the prospect seems fair, and we may well hope and expect increasing strength and prosperity.
A large audience greeted Keene at the opera house, Monday evening. Faithful to the traditions of Lawrence audiences, the spectators were not very demonstrative, but paid the actor the high compliment of preserving close attention throughout. One who has seen Keene as Richard III. cannot but feel that that is his best, and that in Macbeth he is constantly hampered by reminiscences of that part. Richard is so much more vulgar a tyrant than Macbeth that we think some injustice is done the latter. The rant which seems not out of place in Richard, sits but ill on Macbeth, who is by nature a gentleman. So far was this carried that once Keene assumed even Richard's limp and shrug.
It has been said that the rank of a book is determined not by its freedom from faults, but by the height of its beauties. Judged by a similar standard, Keene's acting is so good, especially in the scenes just before and after Duncan's murder, that criticism becomes an ungracious task, and yet is invited by the contrasts offereded between the actor's best and his worst.
The part of Lady Macbeth was fairly done. But in the sleep-walking scene Miss Hamblin fell far short of the power for which the scene offers opportunity, and which it demands. The company modeled themselves largely upon Keene, and copied his defects more successfully than his merits. The scene in which Macduff hears of the massacre of his family was more ably rendered than any other. "M."
It is to be hoped that the foolishness of presenting flowers to the various performers of the commencement week exercises will be quietly but firmly "sat upon" this year. The committee on arrangements for the last Society Contest made a good move when they suppressed it there. We understand that the seniors intend allowing none of it on Class Day. If the committies on the society entertainments, the prize contestants and the faculty will join in checking this folly we may hope to see it entirely done away with.
If this sending up flowers were any real token of the merit of the performance, it might be allowed to pass. But it is perfectly notorious that it is not; that no matter how poor the performance the speaker is sure to receive "floral offerings"'—if his friends have cash enough. This custom is nothing more than a vulgar and snobbish display, is opposed to every principle of good taste and good breeding.
As when one gets to the end of an interesting story, and is both glad and sorry to read the last page and close the volume, so it is with us, the writer of these lines. With this number our year's work on the Courier ends. At this writing it is impossible to say whether the two papers will be consolidated or not. At all events, this is the last "Fortnight," for the next issue, if ever issued, will be filled with the Commencement productions. In looking over our year's work we have some things to rejoice over, some to be sad over. We have tried to fulfill the promise of our first issue, to be fearless, independent and unprejudiced. How well we have succeeded is for our readers to judge. So now, in the words of the old romance, "Readers all, both gentle and simple, gallant knights and fair ladies, hail and farewell!" The last "Fortnight" is written.